OFFALY's Darragh Kenny did the double at the five-star Nations Cup show in Ocala, Florida on Saturday night, winning the feature $35,000 HITS Classic followed by the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix.

Aboard the 11-year-old gelding Cassini Z, the combination landed their second Grand Prix win in the space of three weeks, this time taking the top prize in the $35,000 HITS Classic.

One of seven riders through to the jump-off, Kenny guided Cassini Z to what proved a winning clear round against the clock in 35.64 seconds. They finished just over a second ahead of German runner-up Wilhelm Genn with Bugatti, while Brazil’s Yuri Mansur finished third with Vitiki.

Kenny and Cassini Z, who is owned by Ann Thompson, also won the $132,000 Adequan Grand Prix at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida back in January.

Speaking afterwards about the gelding, Kenny said: “I’ve had Cassini Z for about a year now. He’s a really, really good horse. One of my owners, Ann Thompson, just bought him for me. I think he has a really exciting future. He’s really careful and really competitive.

"This week, I used him in the secondary classes, but normally he’s one of my Grand Prix horses. He’ll probably do the Longines Global Champions Tour shows in Mexico and Miami and do the Grand Prix classes there. He’s just stepping up to the five-star Grand Prix events so I’m just going to see how that goes and make a plan from there for him.”

Kenny concluded the day with back-to-back Grand Prix victories, also winning the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix aboard his girlfriend Jessica Mendoza’s Horst Van De Mis Peleare as the fastest of three double-clear round.

He will be hoping his good form continues in this evening’s Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup in Ocala, where he rides Go Easy De Muze. Ireland's Development Team Manager Michael Blake yesterday named his team which also includes Daniel Coyle (Cita), Paul O’Shea (Skara Glen’s Machu Picchu) and Cian O’Connor with Clenur.

Ireland have been drawn first to jump of six teams in the competition which gets underway in Ocala at 6pm Irish time. The class will be streamed live on FEI TV.

The Children on Horses team of Francis Derwin, Jack Geaney, Daniel Kerins and Rhys Williams finished second in the COH Nations Cup at the Florida venue yesterday.

MORE ON THIS IN SATURDAY'S THE IRISH FIELD